Cellulose Nanocrystals and Au Nanoparticles Well-Dispersed in a Poly(styrene-b-ethylene oxide) Block Copolymer Matrix

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were used to prepare novel polymeric composites based on a self-assembled poly(styrene- b -ethylene oxide) (PS- b -PEO) block copolymer with and without Au nanoparticles synthesized using HAuCl 4 as a precursor. Taking into account the hydrophilic behavior of the CNCs, well-dispersed cellulose nanocrystals were confined in the PEO block due to hydrogen-bond interactions. Electrical properties of pristine CNC cellulose nanocrystals and their PS- b -PEO based composites with and without conductive Au nanoparticles were studied using electrostatic force microscopy. Results indicate that CNC cellulose nanocrystals respond to the voltage applied to the EFM tip independent of the sign of the applied voltage. Addition of conductive Au nanoparticles into the CNC/PS- b -PEO composite led to the highest contrast between charged and uncharged domains. Designed materials responded to the increasing or decreasing voltage cycles almost without hysteresis even on the macroscale, as measured by a semiconductor analyzer.